Legislation & Testimony
Voting Rights & Elections
Components of a Bill to Modernize the Voter Registration System
This issue brief outlines suggested components of a bill to modernize the voter registration system and identifies some key strategy decisions to be made. It also provides sample legislative language to use in each section. Each state is, of course, different, and we would be happy to assist policymakers and advocates in drafting a bill tailored to any particular state.
Authored by: Wendy Weiser, with Justin Levitt and Adam Skaggs
– 09/22/10
Testimony on the National Popular Vote Plan for Council of the District of Columbia
Testimony by Amanda Rolat on the National Popular Vote Plan, submitted to the Committee on Government Operations and the Environment
of the Council of the District of Columbia.
Authored by: Amanda Rolat
– 05/19/10
Notice of Unprecleared Voting Change in New York City
The New York State Board of Elections has implemented procedures that deviate from New York law and previous practice in two ways: A: the notification that voters receive when a voter casts an invalid, overvoted ballot; and B: the manner in which the voting system handles that ballot. This letter outlines the details of these procedures and how they diverge from NY law.
Authored by: Lawrence Norden
– 04/20/10
Testimony of Justin Levitt before the Wisconsin State Legislature
Testimony before the Wisconsin Assembly Committee on Elections and Campaign Reform and the Senate Committee on Labor, Elections and Urban Affairs in favor of two voter registration modernization bills
Authored by: Justin Levitt
– 03/31/10
Testimony of Prof. Burt Neuborne in Support of H.R. 3335, The Democracy Restoration Act
Legal Director and Inez Milholland Professor of Civil Liberties at NYU School of Law, Burt Neuborne, testifies in support of the Democracy Restoration Act before the House Judiciary Committee, Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties Subcommittee.
– 03/16/10
Testimony Before the New York City Council Committee on Governmental Operations
Testimony before the New York City Council Committee on Governmental Operations regarding Board of Elections oversight, specifically concerning New York’s new voting machines and Board voter registration and list maintenance practices.
Authored by: Laura Seago
– 02/11/10
Letter to New York State Board of Elections Regarding Overvotes on Optical Scanners
Letter to the New York State Board of Elections from a coalition of civil rights and voting rights groups regarding the high incidence of overvotes seen in voting systems recently adopted in New York.
Authored by: Lawrence Norden
– 02/04/10
Letter to Senator Charles Schumer: 4-point plan to respond to Citizens United
The Brennan Center lays out a four-point plan response to the Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United v. FEC, including actions: public campaign funding plans, voter registration modernization, better accountability, and taking a voter-centric view of the First Amendment.
Authored by: Michael Waldman and Susan Liss
– 02/02/10
Letter to the New York State Board of Elections Regarding Usability Testing for New Election Systems
Usability experts urge the New York state Board of Elections to conduct usability testing on the state’s new voting systems
Authored by: Brennan Center, Usability Professionals Association, Center for Plain Language, and AIGA Design for Democracy Project
– 01/15/10
Testimony of Wendy Weiser and Nicole Austin-Hillery on H.R. 1719
Wendy Weiser and Nicole Austin-Hillery submit written testimony in support of H.R. 1719, the Voter Registration Modernization Act of 2009, to the Subcommittee on Elections of the Committee on House Administration. H.R. 1719 would require states to provide for online completion and submission of voter registration applications.
Authored by: Wendy Weiser and Nicole Austin-Hillery
– 10/29/09